Public and proprietary networks transmit traffic over network paths in order to provide services to network devices and/or user devices associated with the networks. Fiber optic cables include a group of fibers through which network traffic is transported as optical signals. Fiber optic cables enable traffic to be transported over longer distances, with less loss, and/or at higher bandwidths (or data rates) than other network paths (e.g., copper wires, etc.).
Unfortunately, some fibers, within fiber optic cables, include random imperfections that can cause the optical signal to become prematurely distorted (e.g., at a rate that exceeds a threshold) as the optical signal travels through the fiber optic cable. The imperfections may cause certain wavelengths, associated with the optical signal, to travel at different relative speeds (e.g., due to modal dispersion) and/or may cause different polarizations, associated with the optical signal, to travel at different speeds (e.g., due to polarization mode dispersion). Modal dispersion and/or polarization mode dispersion may cause pulses within the optical signal to spread (e.g., become distorted), which may reduce the bandwidth capacity, the maximum data rate, and/or a distance over which the traffic is able to flow within the fiber optic cable.